Teahouse of the Winter Moon: a Report

Saionji no Hanae (Lisa Joseph) of the West Kingdom reports of the recent Teahouse of the Winter Moon event which took place in the Kingdom of the Outlands January 7, 2006.

Saionji no Hanae writes:

Greetings,

I had promised a number of people a full report on my activities out
of kingdom. If reading about people you don't know doing things you
aren't interested in is not your cup of o-cha, kindly delete and pass
on. Before you do, however, you should know that this traveler is
awed, humbled and deeply honored at the hospitality she was shown by
the people of the Outlands.

I arrived at the cavernous Denver International Airport Friday evening
where Lady Medb ingen Imchada ui Fhlaithbertaig (hereinafter referred
to as Mabbina or 'Bina) picked me up. We drove to the Adams County
Fairgrounds where event set-up was in progress, then went to dinner
with Furukusu-dono, his lady Momoko-hime (Branwen) and various other
members of the Barony of Caerthe. We were waiting for a table at Hops
when Lady Rivka Vladimirovna Rivkina lamented that she wanted to do
something Japanese and period when she heralded her baron and baroness
into court but that she couldn't write waka to save her life. So I
said that if she would tell me something about them, I'd give it a
shot and see if I could come up with something appropriate. Rivka told
me Kronos, that is, His Excellency, Ramon the Chronologer - and I
stopped her right there. A name like that was just the thing to work
with. Then she told me how nice Katherine is and I found myself
descending into the Hell of Cliched SCA Praise Poems. I wasn't getting
any good images to latch onto until Rivka their dog just had fifteen
puppies. I told her I'd sleep on it and see what I could come up with.

We got home to `Bina's pretty late, after a stop at Safeway for some
last minute supplies, then we had to fuss over her dog and cat before
crashing for the night.

As Mabbina was the merchant coordinator, we were up VERY early. In
fact, we were the first people on site and enjoyed a rather
spectacular sunrise. I had the ladies' room to myself as I darkened my
teeth, whitened my face, and dressed in informal winter court attire:
kosode, nabagakama, hitoe, uchigi (a reworked version of what I wore
for Twelfth Night here in the West in 2003.
http://www.wodefordhall.com/caerthe1.jpg

Walking in nabagakama (for those unfamiliar, they are trousers so long
one walks on the trailing pant-legs) isn't as difficult as one might
expect. Turning around in them is a little tricky. I coped by turning
in a loop and toeing them around instead of trying to do an
about-face. (No floors were quite smooth enough to attempt the "Old
Time Rock 'n' Roll" slide in them.) Sitting in them without getting
tangled up is a bit more of a challenge.

The event theme was a Japanese teahouse, with classes offered on
topics such as poetry, kite building, and hana fuda (a card game). I
had wanted to check some of them out, but I never made it! I did not
know that Furukusu Masahide is a woodworking fool. Wooden site tokens
resembling shrine fortunes were calligraphed, I believe, with "Winter
Moon", and he'd made paper and wood lanterns for all the feast tables.
Lit at feast time, they added cheer and atmosphere to a cavernous
fairground exhibition hall.

Chronology herewith begins to go out the window - I met SO many people
that I can't tell you in what order. I've met a few folks from the
Outlands at Estrella and it was good to see Guernin and Elaisse and
Ryokai-dono and Ruri-hime again. It was really fun to meet the ones
I've bumped into on bardic and other e-lists and put faces and names
together.

I hereby refuse to nitpick this event on the grounds of authenticity.
Yes, there was a lot of post-period vintage Japanese clothing being
worn. Yes, there was a lot of homemade, not-quite-there-yet Asian
attire. Some of the modern kimono and furisode I saw making the rounds
were well worth getting out of the closet to be worn that their
embroidery and yuzen might be admired, damn the kitsuke and full speed
ahead. It was so nice to see so MANY people who might not otherwise
explore Asian culture getting into the spirit of the event even if
they were a bit fuzzy on some of the details.

A lot of the men looked quite good - there are fewer stylistically
glaring differences between pre- and post- period samurai styles and
most of the wearers remembered eboshi (hats)! Others chose to attend
in namban finery, so we had a fair sprinkling of "Portuguese" in
attendance.

I picked up my notebook and sat outside, musing on appropriate lines
for Rivka's waka. I worked on these in separate stages over the course
of the day, flagging her down for approval before moving on to the next.

A buffet lunch of noodles, steamed buns, chicken yakitori and other
goodies was served midday. I was sampling mine when Nyanya (Mistress
Catrin von Berlin, or Gwen Cat) appeared at my elbow with a plate of
sashimi - as a gift. Mmmmmmmmmmmm, maguro! Homemade lavender and
rosepetal soap from Xiao Mei, a candle from Guernin, Outlands stag
belt bosses from Mistress Kate Holford, people kept showering me with
goodies. Mistress Kate (in traditional white kosode and red hakama)
had passed me several times during the day with an exchange of bows.
She FINALLY introduced herself, and invited me to attend as she took a
new apprentice (I am mortified I did not get the young lady's name!)
and also presented me to His Majesty Hrorek (looking most fine in
eboshi and a pallette of sober Zen colors). I didn't meet the Queen
officially, but she snuck up on me at one point, before I could abase
myself appropriately and said she admired my clothing.

We were treated to a spirited performance by the Denver Taiko Dojo.
Ryokai-dono and I had front row (read "floor") seats among the
children - he was grinning like mad and I was hard pressed not to be
unladylike. We are contemplating some noisemaking projects for
Estrella War. I promise it will not take place in the BC, however,
that is all I can promise. You have been duly warned.

I selected a spot on the floor to the sides of the thrones for evening
Their Excellencies of Caerthe processed in, Rivka reading my humble verse:

From her lofty perch,
Gazing at snow robed mountains,
Smiles the winter moon.
Caerthe's lanterns shine welcome
Though not hung as high as she.

Time has no master
Save in the hills of Caerthe:
A sage holds this land.
Unequaled Kronos divines
The fortunes of his people.

Auspicious fortune
Fortells the Year of the Dog
For Caerthe's Katherine.
Uzume's blessing brings luck
With fifteen loyal offspring.

It being Twelfth Night and the Outlands being a barony rich
environment, I spent a long several minutes with my nose six inches
from the ground, arms trembling as Their Majesties and the remaining
barons and baronesses were individually announced and processed to
their places. Their Excellencies of Dragonnspine were attended by two
samurai who knelt at their feet for the proceedings. Ryokai-dono was
one, I sadly cannot remember the other young man's name. Their
deportment was most impressive. Their Excellencies of Unser Haven (who
had left one of their beautifully struck coins at the arts display for
me) were attended by a third, who stood behind them holding a namban
great sword.

Attending court when one does not know the players is an interesting
exercise. The AoA ceremony is pretty close to the one in the West,
they say "Huzzah" instead of "Vivat," but they also have scrolls. And
trolls, which reminds me of the East. And Aspens (which I take to be a
service award) and something called The Dreamer's Cup, which was
presented to a thunderstruck lady to huge acclaim by the populace.

I'd been in oshiroi and ohaguro (full makeup and tooth black) for
seven hours. My eyes were burning from perspiration I had been unable
to blot all day and I made a command decision to retire to the ladies'
and remove my makeup and tooth black. Picking bits of black gunk out
of lunch had been enough, I wasn't going to do it through five courses.

The feast was delicious, and possibly the healthiest one I've ever
eaten. Edamame and suiji (broth), soy and ginger roasted swan (turkey
with attitude), baked yams, onigiri stuffed with chicken and venison,
cedar plank salmon, rice, vegetables, pickled daikon, fruit wontons.
It was all excellent and I bow to the talents in the kitchen.

Owing to the size of the hall and its idiosyncratic acoustics, I
delicately declined invitations to recite poetry - though I was most
honored by the invitation. Jehanne MIGHT be able to make herself heard
with something like "The Agincourt Carol," but I knew my storytelling
abilities were not up to the challenge of that room. Murasaki-hime
(Baroness Morgan Rowanwaif), did, however, visit our table and treat
us to a chilling ghost story which I fully intend to steal!

It was quite late when we bid our farewells, but I had a glorious
time. I am awed, humbled and honored by the hospitality and friendship
I was shown by the people of the Outlands.

Sunday, Mabbina and I went out for breakfast and visited the Denver
Art Museum. Famed for its collection of Native American art, it also
has an impressive Asian art collection and I lament having forgotten
to take my camera with me as their postcard selection did not begin to
match it.

Despite a brief delay at the gate due to an unspecified security
breach at the airport, I arrived back in San Francisco around 8 PM.
Fujimaki, my old retainer from back East, is in town this week for the
Mac World convention, so I met him for dessert at the Mel's Diner on
Mission Street near the Yerba Buena Gardens. Some of you may remember
him from Hanse and Yvone's March Crown.